...an award-nominated Irish blog on Irish history and Irish politics-from today and yesterday:all 32 Counties !Updated a number of times each week . (Mirror site here)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Irish Hedge School : 'Back to the Future' for our children...?

"....."The Irish who could afford the Hedgemaster's fee sent their children to Hedge Schools where Gaelic brehons, storytellers and musicians secretly taught Irish history, tradition, and told tales of the Irish children's ancestry. Popular history places these schools under ruined walls or in dry ditches by the roadside. Some lessons, no doubt, were taught in the shadow of a hedge while others were taught in barns...."(From here)

The 14th October 2008 State budget was not only an attempt by millionaire politicians to prematurely end the lives of the elderly people in this State (who fought back and intend to do so again in the coming weeks) but was also used as an opportunity by those moral renegades in Leinster House to 'have a go' at what they apparently view as 'another load of wasters' : those seeking an education .Not only did the State increase the costs it charges for 'State Examinations' , it stated that there would be no increase in 2009 in Maintenance Grants that are sometimes available for students. The politicians increased registration fees for Colleges from €900 to €1,500 , reduced the already poor school building programme and , beginning in January 2009 , have decreed that the position of 'sub teacher' will no longer exist . The fund from which resource teachers applied to for money for equipment has been abolished - including the grants for 'Home Economics' classes - and funds previously allocated to 'Early Childcare Centres' are now not available at all , having been abolished by 'Government Decree' .Altogether at least 30 major cutbacks to the manner in which our children are educated in this State will be enacted in the coming weeks and months ; but none of those cutbacks will be accepted without a fight! Teachers , their representative organisations , parents and pupils themselves will be taking to the streets in a massive protest - the first of many , if necessary - which will be held on Wednesday 29th October 2008 at 6.30pm outside Leinster House : more details here.The unproductive political wasters in Leinster House must be stood-up to on this issue : the alternative is to go back to "...the hedge and the barns.." - WEDNESDAY , OCTOBER 29 , 2008 , LEINSTER HOUSE , 6.30PM . For the sake of your children....Sharon.